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LinkedIn new grad / entry level interview: how to prep when you have no idea what to expect

jp_newgrad · 5 replies

I'm a 2025 grad and I just got through the LinkedIn new grad SWE loop. It took me a while to find prep advice that was actually for entry-level and not for senior engineers, so writing this for the other new grads.

First: the LinkedIn new grad process is more structured than some other big tech. They have a fairly defined funnel: an online assessment, a technical phone screen, then a virtual onsite.

Online assessment: Two LeetCode-style problems, 90 minutes. One was array manipulation (medium), one was a graph problem (BFS/DFS, medium). Nothing wild. If you can do LeetCode mediums comfortably in 45 minutes each you're fine. They use CoderPad or a similar environment.

Technical phone screen: One coding problem (medium difficulty) plus a few behavioral questions at the end. The behavioral stuff is light at this stage, basically tell me about a project you're proud of. The coding problem I got was sliding window on a string. I explained my approach before coding which I think helped.

Virtual onsite: Three rounds. Coding: Two problems. One I'd call easy-medium (hash map counting), one was medium-hard (I used a stack, took me to the last 5 minutes). They were patient about me thinking out loud. Behavioral: LinkedIn cares about their cultural pillars. Look up their "Members First" framing. They'll ask about times you prioritized users/customers, times you disagreed with a direction but executed anyway, how you handle ambiguity. Hiring manager chat: Less formal, more conversational. They want to know you're interested in LinkedIn specifically, not just any big tech job. Have a real answer for why LinkedIn, not just "I use the product."

What I wish I'd known: The behavioral rounds matter more than I expected for new grad. I almost treated them as filler. They're not. Prep 3-4 solid stories with real structure.

Timeline was about 4 weeks start to finish. Waiting on the offer still actually. Fingers crossed.

5 replies

qa_quinn

Really appreciate this. Did they say anything about the leveling for new grad? Is everyone E3 or does it vary?

jp_newgrad

My understanding is new grad is mostly E3 but some strong candidates with internship experience or a grad degree come in at E4. The recruiter mentioned it's set by the committee not the hiring manager for new grad roles. I didn't push on it.

bootcamp_bri

Do you know if LinkedIn hires bootcamp grads for the entry level loop or is this purely university recruiting?

recruiter_rita

Chiming in: bootcamp grads can and do get through the loop but they mostly come through the general SWE pipeline, not specifically new-grad-designated reqs. The OA and technical bar is the same either way.

veteran_vance

Good luck! I'm also waiting on an outcome from a different company right now and the wait is its own kind of training.